TV MONITOR: Last night's 10:00pm ET edition of FSN's
"Fox Sports News," and the 11:00pm ET editions of CNN/SI's
"Sports Tonight" and ESPN's "SportsCenter" all led with
Knicks-Pacers, followed by Heat-Hawks. The first non-NBA
report on "Fox Sports News," at 1:20 into the broadcast, was
a preview of the NCAA East Regional Duke Univ.-Univ. of FL
men's basketball game. The first non-NBA report on "Sports
Tonight," at 4:28, was Maple Leafs D Bryan Berard having
surgery on his injured eye. The first non-NBA report on
"SportsCenter," at 5:53, was Devils D Scott Niedermayer
receiving a ten-game suspension for hitting Panthers LW
Peter Worrell with his stick (THE DAILY).
BROADCAST CHANGE IN CANADA: In Toronto, Harris &
Zicarelli report that the NBA, CTV SportsNet and TSN agreed
yesterday to air Raptors games across all of Ontario,
extending the league's 75-mile boundary outside Toronto.
The new policy takes effect with tonight's Raptors-76ers
game (TORONTO SUN, 3/22)....Also in Toronto, William Houston
notes speculation that has Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
buying SportsNet and making it a "regional super channel"
with the Raptors and Maple Leafs if the Canadian Radio-TV &
Telecom Commission forces CTV to sell off SportsNet as a
condition to purchasing TSN. But Maple Leaf Sports Senior
VP/Business Tom Anselmi said that is "not likely to happen."
Anselmi: "The acquisition of a network is not really on our
radar screen" (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL), 3/22).
NASCAR WEB RIGHTS: The SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Langdon
Brockinton reports that ESPN has "agreed to terminate the
last year of its Internet deal" with NASCAR, meaning the
online agreement will expire at the end of the 2000 season.
Sources say that Fox, NBC, AOL/Turner and Yahoo! "all have
expressed interest" in obtaining the rights, and sources add
that it is "likely" NASCAR will "cut deals with more than
one partner" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/20 issue).
NOTES: ABC Sports President Howard Katz, on Mike
Freeman's book, "ESPN: The Uncensored History," referencing
alleged sexual harassment involving anchor Mike Tirico in
'92: "It's unfair to bring it up eight years after the fact
when he's been a model citizen since then. It's outrageous"
(USA TODAY, 3/22)....CNN/SI's Fred Hickman, during his
introduction to last night's "Sports Tonight": "Hi everybody
and welcome to our show, where we promise no gratuitous
takes, no 'Boo-Yahs' or any of that pedestrian fare. This
is a class joint" ("Sports Tonight," CNN/SI, 3/21).
LOCAL GROWTH: AOL Interactive Properties Group
President Ted Leonsis said its Digital Cities "is really one
of the fastest growing areas in the company, now with
Mapquest and Moviephone and our local group. That's because
the local marketplace was really about a year, to a year and
a half behind the national marketplace. Now the advertising
is booming. ... We think this is really the next hot thing
in the interactive space" ("Biz Buzz," CNNfn, 3/21).
